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Feb 20, 2009 5:53 pm US/Central
Dad Honors Those That Saved Him From Heart Attack
(WCCO)
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John Coppedge is the fourteenth person in Wright County in the last two years to survive a heart attack thanks to a special program called Heart Safe Communities.
CBS
A Minnesota dad feels pretty lucky to have time to spend with his children after he survived a heart attack last December.
John Coppedge is the fourteenth person in Wright County in the last two years to survive a heart attack thanks to a special program called Heart Safe Communities.
Without it, Coppedge is pretty sure he wouldn't be here today.
The first week of December, Coppedge remembers sitting in a school gym with other parents around, getting ready to watch their children perform a Christmas play.
Feeling too tired, he didn't plan to come until his daughter nudged him a bit. He's certainly glad he did.
Minutes before the play started at Pinewood Elementary in Monticello, Minn., Coppedge went into cardiac arrest. He started choking, turned blue and stuck out his tongue.
"I didn't know what was going on. I just blanked out and that's all I can remember," he said.
He can't tell you what happened, but several of the people around him at that time can.
"Checked for a pulse -- no pulse, no breathing -- and I started chest compressions," said one woman who helped him that day.
"I started CPR. And I had my CPR mask. We started mouth-to-mouth and we began working," said another woman who helped.
Three nurses, parents, deputies and paramedics helped Coppedge that day.
On Friday, he heard about the experience when they used an Automated External Defibrillator, or A.E.D., on him.
"Saved my life! Yep, saved my life," said Coppedge.
The Heart Safe Communities program in Wright County made the A.E.D. available at the school.
In fact, all schools in the county have them. They're also in Wright County Deputy's squad cars, fire stations and other places.
The program started in 2001 by an emergency room doctor at Buffalo Hospital. At that time, there were 80 A.E.D.s in the county -- today there are more than 200.
John gave each of his heroes a Heart Safe Hero Award for giving him life and they heard his genuine thanks.
"I'm very honored and I'm glad I was there," said one woman who helped him.
Had he not gone to the play that day, Coppedge wonders if he'd still be here today.
"I think the Lord wanted me to be there. He knows what's going on. He's looking down," he said.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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